Wow! Either Nelson is lying or the Dem leadership is beyond lame. Unbelievable! Or, more sadly, believable. It's enough to make us little people start to think that the whole thing is just a big charade. Maybe we should just go ahead and bust out the torches and pitchforks.

Okay, so no talks about voting for cloture generally. Right.

So, has he had any talks with leadership about voting for cloture even if he can't vote for certain specific bills like, say, oh, I don't know, maybe the health care reform bill?

Folks, this is exactly why Harry Reid wont win reelection out here in Nevada. Republicans have never liked him (even though he's pro gun rights and pro-life) and Democrats are soooo tired of watching Reid's spine splash around on the floor. Get the votes to stop the fillibuster and then give it an "up or down vote". HEY WAIT...."up or down vote", isnt that what the Repubs were screaming they deserved and how unpatriotic it was to not give them one.

Roll Call sez:

As a fallback, Senate Democratic leaders have stepped up their pressure on centrists to stick with the party on procedural votes. At a minimum, leaders have asked all 60 Democrats to allow them to bring a health care bill to the floor in order to make sure Republicans cannot filibuster it.

Let's put it this way, Ben. Why would you vote to sustain a Republican filibuster if you weren't just a whore for the insurance companies?

Verification:

Before entering politics, Ben Nelson spent his career as an insurance executive, insurance company lawyer and, early in his career, Nebraska’s state insurance regulator. He was chief executive officer of an insurance company and has sided with and received political support from business groups opposed to a public health plan as part of health reform.

Sen. Nelson has depended on the insurance and health care industries to pay for his campaigns for public office. According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Sen. Nelson has raised more than $2 million from insurance and health care interests in his three campaigns for federal office.

Sen. Nelson has received $1,195,299 from insurance interests, $399,345 from health professionals, $258,483 from the pharmaceutical industry, and $195,138 from hospital and nursing home interests.